spidermike007

Why on earth would you want your kid to be PM? What a lousy job. Of course he would get fabulously rich, but still who needs that kind of a headache? Besides if he was a decent and moral individual all of those tendencies would be washed out of his mind and soul. For example, just look at Obama. If he was a decent guy to begin with, the transformation was intense and happened super fast.

30 years in SE Asia, been to kl once for 3 days (2 years ago) never will go back,

its souless

its in the middle between Bangkok and Singpaore and i prefer both of these

I have been several times, and KL is a terribly unimpressive city. The aquarium, and the botanical gardens are world class. But, other than that, not much to do, boring in general, and little action. People are cool but the food in BKK is better, as is the action, and it has a lot more soul and personality. If you like super clean cities without a real soul, KL is your kind of place.

Thailand was already at risk of being overtaken by neighboring countries. Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia observe the law, and it is easier for companies to defend themselves there, as they do not have monkey courts controlled by weak and ineffective judges, as they do here. Also, the immigration laws are more clear, and the policies relating to foreign investment are easier to deal with, from what I hear. In addition they are spending billions improving their infrastructures, while Thailand lags behind, being on of several countries in the world that has not advanced into 4G in a meaningful way. The issues here are countless. Even if this recent political nightmare had not happened, Thailand would still be losing its way. You can only do so many things wrong, before it catches up with you. The lack of law enforcement, an ineffective judiciary, political instability, poor road safety, lack of a vision toward the future, very poor education, no effort to learn english, etc, etc.

Law enforcement. What a concept. I consider the cops here to be revenue collection agents, and not law enforcement officials. I rarely seem them actually enforcing the law. Especially in the lawless zones of Samui, and Phuket. Would be nice if there was some law enforcement. We do not need the big brother enforcement found in the UK, and the US. But some kind of balance? Until the central government starts devoting billions of dollars annually to improving law enforcement, nothing will change. Increase the salaries, start providing multi million dollar forensic labs, start training detectives overseas (simply admit you do not have the "stuff" to train them yourselves), and make the police into real detectives, and policemen. Imagine such a concept?

If my boss asked me to kill the two officers, why question an order like that? It seems so practical, level headed, fair, and reasonable. Why not? What the hell? What else do I have to do with my afternoon? After, all they are trying to prevent us from infringing on their territory. Why would we put up with that? We are supermen, and we do not submit to limitations. We do as we like. Nobody gets in our way, and if they do, we just simply eliminate them. After all, if we did not kill them, we might lose several thousand baht. How much are their lives really worth?

The primary issue, is that there is little to zero interest in fighting corruption here. Nearly every level of government, and law enforcement has given up the fight, or not bothered waging a fight in the first place. When they do, they are thwarted at every level, by nearly every official or person involved. Though Thailand has made alot of noise about integrating itself into the world community, and especially ASEAN, to date they have defied many, many charters they have signed, especially the 6th charter, which I believe was signed back in 2009. I am told there are about 20 different international government bodies that are going to monitor Thailand's participation, and conduct once the upcoming ASEAN integration takes place in 2015. Many are skeptical, for good reason. Thailand has a very long history of making promises to the international community, and breaking them, when it comes to integration, easing of customs restriction, the import market, etc. To date, they have remained fabulously insular, and in some respects resemble China, when it comes to keeping their own markets closed to outside competition. The term protectionism comes to mind.

Getting back to the corruption issue, it is incredibly frustrating for many of us to see the level with which it affects this nation. But, so far, there is no Anna Hazare, or other such heroes who have stood up, risked life and limb, and been willing to carry the torch. I have seen no fight. No game. No resistance. No battle. No courage. No fortitude. No conviction. No arrests. Nobody jailed. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. So, you are seeking something that is simply not there. There may be some talk from time to time, from goombahs like Chalerm, but no action, ever! Does the "anti-corruption" agency ever fight corruption? No. What do they do? They focus on election fraud. So, you are simply engaging in an act that, if it produces anything, will end in deportation, denial of a visa, scorn, violence, or bodily harm to you or your family. But, rest assured, it will not result in anybody being disciplined, losing their job, fined, or jailed. At the lowest to the highest level of government here, there is zero interest in that. SImply too much money being made, and no interest in upsetting the apple cart.

So, in regard to this guy coming down on rogue police, it would be wonderful to see something like this starting to happen in this land of "no fight, no battle, no interest, let them do their thing". But, I remain skeptical until I see someone stand up and show some willingness to fight what would essentially be a war against entrenched interests.

No. Absolutely no. The need to belong is such a primordial, and primitive concept. It is such a conventional way of thinking, in my opinion. Who cares, anyway? I do not belong in the US, though I am from there. I do not feel like "one of them". Same here. You will never be a "Thai" so why fuss over it? Just enjoy your life here. Make a good life for yourself, and those around you. Do not expect that your Thai friends or neighbors will ever consider you one of them, and do not regret it for a nanosecond. It does not matter. It means little. As long as you are fulfilled with your life. If you are not fulfilled, keep looking.

The Dollar collapse? Really? If you seriously believe that, I would suggest gold. Silver you would need to carry half a pound of it to buy a loaf of bread and some toilet roll, gold will be much more portable when running away from armageddon!

You may want to consider studying some history. If the dollar collapses silver immediately will revert to it's long term ratio to gold, which is 10 to 1. That means at todays prices, a value of about $135 per ounce. It has the potential to go far, far higher, if we are looking at worldwide financial calamity. Of course, the value of the dollar would also collapse, so the value of silver would be somewhat skewed. But, the potential to increase in value is dramatic. It takes some vision to see it though. It costs about $21 per ounce to mine silver, and get it ready to sell. So, right now, it is a break-even proposition on the part of producers. The uses os silver continue to rise, with nano applications, medical application, etc. It is the opposite for gold. Think about it. It makes a lot of sense as a long term shelter, or investment. Long term only. 3-7 years perhaps.

You respond to something like this by punishing the young insects. Severely. I suggest a 10 year prison sentence. When the punks emerge from jail at the age of 29, they might be more reluctant to behave like baboons. We all know that zero justice serves no one, and nothing. It is simply cowardice on the part of law enforcement and the judiciary.

A plane flies by in Malaysia. The Thais happen to see it. Later a plane goes missing. Now it looking back, it might have been the missing plane. I see no cover-up, nor any reason for Thailand to try to cover it up.

Yes, not only is what you are saying true, the onus is entirely on the Malaysian military. Is it not? The plane did not even enter Thai airspace. There have to be major radar installations in Northern Malaysia. Why did they not pick it up? especially now that we learnt the Malaysian govt. was alerted the plane changed direction. Would they not alert all radar facilities, to be on the lookout? Was someone sleeping on the job? I sense all the cover up is being done by the Malaysian govt. which is starting to look really bad. They are accustomed to not be questioned by anyone, and you can tell by their behavior they do not enjoy all this scrutiny, especially since the airline lost money three years in a row, leading up to this. And those were banner years for most other airlines. Inefficiency? Ineptitude? Poor management? Bad government?

A bit of a childish reaction to a simple festival? We own Songkran. Nobody else can celebrate it. It is ours. We invented it, and we are the only ones who have the right to create a festival around it. Na na na na na. I do not like it. I do not want anyone touching my holiday. This is not fair. They are not respecting, and bowing down to us. Not right. Lets sue. If we show them our might, maybe they will back down. They do not need the festival. They are already rich.

There is a lot of criticism of Thailand's military here, but what about the Malaysian military? Apparently they knew the plane was turning around, and heading back toward the mainland. There have to be major military radar stations in the north. Why were they not looking out for the plane? Was someone sleeping? Or are they that incompetent? Something does not add up here. Why are no questions being asked of them? Who is responsible here? I do not think this plane went through Thai airspace, right.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yes, if you call zero too little. I am often amazed them I am driving along, and someone cuts right out in front of me. I often look in the rear view mirror, and see there was nobody behind me for some distance. Which means this goombah just risked the lives of himself, his family, and me. What for? To save two seconds which is how long it would have taken him to wait until I passed, and he had a clear road to enter upon. Why did he choose to act so recklessly? Did he choose at all? Did he consider his options? Or, was he simply thinking I have to get this vehicle onto the road, and it does not matter if there is oncoming traffic? How often I see drivers not even looking to see if anyone is coming. Do you call this a safety margin? Not where I come from. Also, when in the he mountains the other day, I saw people passing me on curves, with zero visibility of oncoming traffic. Going up hills, around completely blind curves. How risky is that? Would you drive like that? Why take this kind of a risk? Mindlessness is one reason that comes to mind. Many drivers here have a shocking lack of skill. It is a very dangerous place to drive. And since the toy police do little to discourage reckless behavior the trend continues.

Spidermike

Chaiyaphum, Thailand

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Q: Where does tourist money come from?

A: Outside Thailand.

Q: Where do tourists spend their money?

A: Inside Thailand.

Q: How does money from other counties spent in Thailand, benefit the Thai economy?

A: Countless way... it would seem.

Q: Why then would you want to discourage tourists from staying as long as they want?

A: Hummmmmm.... let me get back to you on that...

The best reason that comes to mind is, because we can. If you are looking for common sense and reason, you have come to the wrong country my friend. One does not exactly expect level headed policy making from the Yingbat, and her untalented aides and ministers. Do you actually think they would encourage us to stay here? It appears Thailand is after the short term tourist, and not the long stays. That has been apparent for quite some time.

The biggest issue is that the Thai people simply do not hear noise. It does not register as noise in the same way westerners hear it. They do not consider it an issue, or a problem. Thailand is one of the noisiest countries I have ever been to. Many Thais not only do not seem to mind it, on the contrary I think they are very uncomfortable without it. Perhaps they do not like the sounds within their own heads that they hear when it is quiet. Many have the TV on all the time, and some have the radio blasting too, in addition to you tube on their computers. What other answers are there for those ridiculous trucks that drive around with huge speakers, blasting ads, and political messages? Have you ever seen such nonsense in a civilized country? Complaining to the police about noise, would be like telling them a taxi overcharged you, or something comparable. It would mean nothing. Moving sounds like the best idea, but finding quiet in this nation where noise is cherished over quiet is a very difficult task, indeed.

Even in Koh Samui the pollution has been the worst I have seen in a decade. For several months now, since the rains stopped. It has been suggested we are starting to see an influx of pollution from China, I was looking at some wind flow charts. The pollution appears to blow out into the South China Sea, and then, a set of wind currents consistently blows south, and when it gets to the south end of Vietnam, another set of currents blows west. It makes sense that we are seeming Chinese pollution, which is some of the worst in the world. A new era for Thailand? Even in the US, on the west coast, now up to 30% of the particulate matter comes from China. They are not only fouling their own air, but the worlds air.

Unless you enjoy watching rice grow and talking to chickens, don't do it.

You're 70 years old man. Do what makes you happy -- you've earned it. Why would you put yourself through the torment of living in a Thai village? It's not going to fun for you. Spend your golden years in a place that you want to live in -- not where some Thai woman wants to live.

Again, you have 70 years on this planet. You've earned the right to do what makes YOU happy.

There is alot of truth in this comment. It really depends on what you need. Some people are not cut out for village life. For me the biggest issue would be the noise (I hate roosters, dogs that yap incessantly, etc), the really poor internet, and the lack of stimulation. I would only do it because I wanted to do it. Not because my wife was ready for village life. If I was not into it, I would either divorce her, or separate for awhile. Or she could live in the village, and it would stay in town. If you speak little Thai, the lack of stimulation and good company alone could make this a very unhappy experience. I was just on my girlfriends village for four days. It is hellaciously boring for me. Not a place I would want to live. But, that is just me.

Just another sign of a fabulously corrupt and inefficient central and local government. It they were not in on this, then they would regulate it. Exactly the same in Samui. Thousands of complaints over the years, and not one thing has been done to regulate this industry. For all the apologists, that same 45 km. ride costs under 300 baht in bangkok. In samui Taxi drivers are more powerful than the police. But, that is a bit like saying the cockroaches are more powerful than the lizards.

Koh Samui and Koh Phangan are two great places to live but be aware they are the two most expensive parts of Thailand

They are too much of a tourist traps for my taste. Besides, Internet sucks on islands =)

Samui has gotten overrun with Russians in the past 10 months. Apparently it has become the go to place online, in Russia. They can be very loud, often unfriendly and occasionally aggressive. Also, the locals are hiking their prices regularly. Samui has seen better days. The lack of good infrastructure does not warrant the price hikes.

How is this TAT a new slogan for your next promotion " hub of crime " and it is all because of corruption get a decent a decent government that takes harsh action on corruption but it will still take a long time to stop.

"UNSAVOURY CHARACTERS"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said more than 60,000 passports - both Thai and foreign - were reported missing or stolen in Thailand between January 2012 and June 2013.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/10/us-malaysia-airlines-thailand-passports-idUSBREA290KD20140310

Or how about instead of "Amazing Thailand" :

Inconceivable Thailand

Incomprehensible Thailand

Planet Thailand

Paradoxical Thailand

Bizarre Thailand

Do not even try to understand Thailand

The country beyond your comprehension

Corrupt Thailand

Just a few possibilities. Should I shop them to the TOT? Or the AOT?

And the fine would be ????

200 TB to the local police of course

Most likely as 500 Baht for the rape of a minor allows you not just back on the streets again but driving your taxi as well. Rape in Thailand may carry a heavy sentence within the judicial system but for many Thai's it's no worse a crime than breaking the speed limit.

As is the case with nearly every other crime too. Thailand may be one of the worlds softest nations when it comes to meting out punishment to criminals. Just let them go. They have learned something. No need to punish them. The judges here should be re-trained. Perhaps send them back to law school? Perhaps have them all train overseas? Oh, am I talking about actual law and order? Imagine such a thing?

The problem is that Thai Law protects the guilty if they can afford it. The fact that they dont use juries of course helps just in case justice might be served.

It is pretty much the same in the US. Only the numbers are higher. Just look at OJ Simpson. if you have a spare 2 million US, you can get away with murder there too. But, in Thailand the judges appear to be very, very wimpy. Very hesitant to hand out real sentences, especially for first time offenders, even if the crime is rape, assault, or murder.

And the fine would be ????

200 TB to the local police of course

Most likely as 500 Baht for the rape of a minor allows you not just back on the streets again but driving your taxi as well. Rape in Thailand may carry a heavy sentence within the judicial system but for many Thai's it's no worse a crime than breaking the speed limit.

As is the case with nearly every other crime too. Thailand may be one of the worlds softest nations when it comes to meting out punishment to criminals. Just let them go. They have learned something. No need to punish them. The judges here should be re-trained. Perhaps send them back to law school? Perhaps have them all train overseas? Oh, am I talking about actual law and order? Imagine such a thing?

I just find it physically and mentally impossible to throw litter whichever country I find myself in. I just can't let anything, however minute, drop on to the street

I suppose it's because I hate so many places being defiled by litterers.

If everyone walked down a soi depositing pieces of fruit and vegetables on the road as they went, it would soon be party time for cockroaches, ants and all the other unwanted species

'Cleanliness is next to Godliness'

Sorry if I sound so pious about this topic. I've got several bad habits but littering isn't one of them

Isn't this more to do with your up bringing ? ie if you threw litter on the ground as a kid you you got smacked across the head by your parents, I know I did and was made to go and pick it up and put what ever it was in the bin

Absolutely true. Thailand may be 10-30 years away from developing some sort of environmental sensitivity. They sure do not have it yet. Perhaps after all their fish are gone, and all their trees have been cut, and all the rivers are spoiled, but it will happen at some point. Until then, we simply have to do our part to set an example for them. I have walked up to Thais before, and have insisted they pick up their trash, that they just threw on the sidewalk. They usually look at me like I am from another planet (I am, planet outside world) but they usually pick it up with kind of an ashamed look on their faces.

The extraordinary part of this story, is that there is a 99% chance this guy throws his trash out of his car window daily. He probably urinates in the rivers. He probably dumps his trash in the wilderness areas. Very few Thais are even aware of nature, much less go out of their way to preserve it. So, this insect was simply looking to pick a fight. And yes, they never fight alone. He was looking for 12 on 1. He knew his insect buddies would have his back. He knew it was a no win for you. Best thing you can do is walk away, and arrange your life so that you never have to patronize these pigs. They are very low life forms. Very few taxi drivers of Phuket and Samui are kind hearted people, for the most part. Since it is an entirely unregulated industry, it attracts the worst of what Thailand has to offer.

Not allowing swine like this guy to run for elected office, would be one of many thousands of steps required to bring Thailand into the 21st century, and allow it to join the civilized world, when it comes to this issue of corruption. But, as I stated in a previous post:

The primary issue, is that there is little to zero interest in fighting corruption here. Nearly every level of government, and law enforcement has given up the fight, or not bothered waging a fight in the first place. When they do, they are thwarted at every level, by nearly every official or person involved. Though Thailand has made alot of noise about integrating itself into the world community, and especially ASEAN, to date they have defied many, many charters they have signed, especially the 6th charter, which I believe was signed back in 2009. I am told there are about 20 different international government bodies that are going to monitor Thailand's participation, and conduct once the upcoming ASEAN integration takes place in 2015. Many are skeptical, for good reason. Thailand has a very long history of making promises to the international community, and breaking them, when it comes to integration, easing of customs restriction, the import market, etc. To date, they have remained fabulously insular, and in some respects resemble China, when it comes to keeping their own markets closed to outside competition. The term protectionism comes to mind.

Getting back to the corruption issue, it is incredibly frustrating for many of us to see the level with which it affects this nation. But, so far, there is no Anna Hazare, or other such heroes who have stood up, risked life and limb, and been willing to carry the torch. I have seen no fight. No game. No resistance. No battle. No courage. No fortitude. No conviction. No arrests. Nobody jailed. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. So, you are seeking something that is simply not there. There may be some talk from time to time, from goombahs like Chalerm, but no action, ever! Does the "anti-corruption" agency ever fight corruption? No. What do they do? They focus on election fraud. So, you are simply engaging in an act that, if it produces anything, will end in deportation, denial of a visa, scorn, violence, or bodily harm to you or your family. But, rest assured, it will not result in anybody being disciplined, losing their job, fined, or jailed. At the lowest to the highest level of government here, there is zero interest in that. SImply too much money being made, and no interest in upsetting the apple cart.